“I want to bring this song friend
Who I might need
I want to have a million friends
And so stronger to be able to sing “The lyrics I know you sure. “A Million Friends”, the song released by Roberto Carlos in 1998, toured hundreds of radios, playlists and crossed borders. This time, in the midst of a pandemic, the sense of lyrics comes to accompany us and feel closer than ever. This was considered by the Rabanes and The Parakeets, the groups that came together to reverse this topic. “It’s a song that marked us from a very young age, it’s a Latin American anthem, a spirit of good vibes,” says Emilio Regueira. These quarantine days I listened to it again and said, ‘This song is amazing, this song calls on us to be more friends in a difficult time.’ And above all I focused it a little bit on the band in the sense of more friends and less hate, less hate on social media, since we live practically online all the time,” he continued.
The video was recorded quarantined, each from their homes, with their cell phones and a production they titled ‘Pandemic Records’, and is now available on Youtube. With more than 40,000 views, it soon became a fan-fan hit.” There’s technology on hand and let’s just say that even if they’re home recordings it maintains a high standard of quality and that’s what it’s liked I think the whole audience. A single black and white filter was put on so that it did not jump one shot with another, since they were from different countries, different cell phones, different cameras that were recorded. And the video was complemented, then, with animations that go to that: in the live, positives, hearts, smiles,” the singer said.
In this sense, the release also relates to the rise of streaming that lives in the artistic realm today, a tool that allows us to continue to disseminate recitals, films, plays and more. Is this a new normal? “Streaming is the solution we have today. I don’t think it’s the ultimate solution. The ultimate solution is going to be the vaccine and go back to the concerts as before. Because nothing better than a concert, sharing it with friends, jumping, screaming, running, hugging all, overcrowded as we like, in closed, open places, but for that it is a long way off,” appreciated Juanchi Baleirón.Still, he argued that it is a “pretty dignified solution”, since it allows the imagination to flow in concerts, ingenuity, creativity, to be able to do something different that does not include only the songs but also , in the direction of cameras. “Take advantage of that it is an opportunity to do different things and give extra value to these transmissions, while we wait for normality to return,” he expanded. However, they warn that quarantine severely affected the music industry, which for the singer of Los Pericos is “collapsed”, and to understand it it is necessary to see “the whole film of the industry stopped”.” Not only that the great musicians, the acquaintances, are standing. Large, medium, small musicians stand and I mean call or popularity, not musical quality. Together with its managers, tour managers, press people, technicians, assistants, people who work in the shows, in the armado, who have sound company, the sounders, security, set designers, press, catering, transportation, to the guy who is at the door selling T-shirts, all of who are about 500 thousand people are standing,” says Baleirón.In the punctual case of Los Pericos , claims that they took advantage to perform live broadcasts, benefit shows, talks, the release of the program Pericos Web TV, a weekly summary of stories and news of the band.
“We are waiting for the next phase to be able to apply the recording protocol, rehearsal room and to do shows by streaming charging entry, special, unique. So trying to reinvent the thing a little bit. You have to move, you have to be active, you have to show yourself and plan for when everything returns to normal,” he continued. For their part, Los Rabanes also took the most use to connect with their audience through live videos and solidarity events on Instagram, where they have more than 60 thousand followers, under the slogan “Stay at Home”.
In the midst of this context, the company of which the subject speaks carries a message of encouragement and hope for the future. As Regueira considered it: “Friendship in times of pandemic is what holds us firm.” “With family, friendship with colleagues, with musicians, from school, friends of the street, because that’s how we’re always giving encouragement. So the song with this… I think it’s a cahe lends himself and as he says, ‘I want to bring this friendly song to anyone who might need it.’ A song that is a balm, a voice of encouragement, that we are not alone in this whole pandemic,” he concluded.
In this note:
The Parakeets
The Rabanes
A million friends
Pandemic
